Machrihanish Golf Club — Attraction in Scotland

We were looking forward to our visit to Machrihanish Golf Club 3.5-hour trip from Glasgow. With 7 of us booked to play on Saturday, 29th March, we expected some typical West Coast weather — but nothing could have prepared us for the extreme conditions we encountered.

From 10:30am onward, the course was simply unplayable. Winds were gusting well over 50mph, rain and hail were relentless, and standing water had begun to form even on the links fairways — which speaks volumes. After battling through the first 5 holes, we had no option but to walk in. Safety was a real concern, particularly with the bridges across the burns, which became hazardous in the stormy conditions. Despite arriving early and staying on the premises until 2:30pm, we saw just one group tee off, only to return quickly. That tells you everything.

While we accept that the weather can be unpredictable, the club’s handling of the situation was deeply disappointing. Communication from staff was blunt at best — we were told, simply, that because we hit our first tee shots, we weren’t entitled to anything. We weren’t asking for a refund, just a gesture of goodwill that would allow us to return and enjoy the course in playable conditions. This wasn’t just bad weather — it was dangerous and unfit for golf.

We had hoped for a more welcoming and understanding approach from a club of Machrihanish’s standing. Many members in the clubhouse actually agreed with us, expressing surprise that no form of incentive was offered for a return. We also couldn’t find any clear mention of this “once-you-hit-a-ball-you’re-committed” policy on the website.

A final note — there were no towels available, which seems like an oversight given the regular harsh weather on the West Coast. For the price paid, one would expect basic facilities to be in place.

Between the poor weather, lack of communication, and zero flexibility from the club, it’s hard to recommend Machrihanish to others at this point. Word of mouth is powerful in golf communities, and unfortunately, this experience has left a sour taste for our...

Course is fantastic and keeps you coming back, beautiful, well worth it.

Have played it 3 times now and 3 times we've all walked out the pro shop wondering what we did to offend Jenny the pro in there. Her welcome each time has been cold, blunt, rude and frankly quite aggressive in tone, It is anything but a welcome. She really needs spoken to about it. Lost out on possibly £200/300 of merch purchases today from our 4 ball because of her, I imagine we aren't the only ones to keep our cash to spend elsewhere glancing through other reviews. They have some nice stuff in the shop but you just want to get out of there as fast as you can because you can feel she doesn't want you in there, I cannot understand why when in the shop keeper role/part of being the pro you would be such a way- it's just basic courtesy to not speak to customers like trash from the outset.

Additionally each year the club house has been going downhill in terms of a vibe too, getting quieter and quieter and offering less and less, thank god mac dunes associate pub is next door because I'm not even sure you can ever get a meal in there now, chef has told us no twice to getting anything to eat which is frankly shocking.

The course somehow makes it still worth it though and we will be back next year smiling as we walk onto...

The drive to Campbeltown is long but the beauty of the scenery softens the blow and the jewel at the end is a great reward. A true Scottish links course. The layout is spectacular and plotting around the course requires imagination, trust in your game, ability to shape shots and off course plenty of luck. Lots of blind shots makes it challenging. The views from the course are spectacular. The club house is modern with very good facilities and the restaurant serves excellent food. Every golfer should try to visit it at least once and to enjoy it properly should play a few rounds at different times. An experience of a lifetime that our group will...